Feeding mechanism for articles in sheet form.



'No. 819,376. PATENTED MAY 1, 1906. S.,H. PRAY, DBGD.

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FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ARTICLES IN SHEET FORM.

APPLICATION FILED J'Inm 1a, 1904.

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No. 819,376. PATENTED MAY 1, 1906.

S. H. PRAY, DEGD.

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No. 819,376. PATENTED MAY 1, 1906' S. H. PRAY, DEGD.

1. H. PRAY, nxncumnx. I FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ARTIGLES IN SHEET FORM.

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UNITED sTA'rns PATENT OFFICE.

STUART H. PRAY, OF NORWOOD, MASSACHUSETTS; IDA H. PRAY EXECUTRIX OF SAID STUART H. PRAY, DECEASED.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR To all whom it may concern.

' wood, in the county of Norfolk, State of Masfor Articles in Sheet Form, of which the lowing is a specification, reference being had sachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Feeding Mechanlsms foltherein to the accom anying drawings.

The invention're ates to mechanism for feeding articles in sheet form from a stack or pile.

It consists in improved'mechanism of the said class constructed and operating to relieve the leading or bottom article of the stack or pile from the weight or pressure of the remainder of the latter at the timeof the withdrawal of such'article and in addition embodying, in combination with the other functional elements thereof, transferring gripper devices of peculiar character and mode of operation.

The features of the invention are adapted to be utilized in the feeding of various articles.

i For the purpose of conveniently disclosing one manner inwhich the invention may be reduced to practice I have illustrated the said features embodied in a form of mechanism which I have successfully. employed in handling signatures of bo oksas, for instance, in

machines for gathering signatures.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows in isometric part of the signature-feeding mechanism of a signature athering machine. Fig. 2 showsinfront e evation one set of the feeding mechanism. Fig. 3 is a view showing the ,parts of Fig. 2 in elevation from the right- 'Qlarviews of jferringheads. I i the gripper-actua'tlng'cam of one ofthetrans ferring-heads.

and side in the latter fi ure, certain portions of the cams being bro en away in order to show parts thatotherwise would be hidden.- Fig. A shows in elevation one of the separators detached. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same. in plan. Fig. 7 shows. in front elevation the carrier of one of the transferring-heads Fig.

8 shows the same in side elevation. Figs. 9

and 10 are views in side and front elevation, respectivelyfof the under jaw of one of thet' Figs. 1 1 and 12 are simitransferring heads. I

the upper jaw of one of the trans- Fig. 13 is a side elevation of Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed June I3, 1904. Serial No. 212,303.

Fig. 6 is a view of the same ARTICLES IN SHEET FORM.

katented may 1, 1906.

Having reference to the drawings, suitable means is provided for supporting conveniently the supplies of signatures or other articles which are to be fed. I contemplate that the said supplies usually shall be arranged in vertical stacks or piles in which the signatures lie horizontally one upon another, although in different cases they may be otherwise arranged. Suitable holders for the said stacks or piles are provided. Any desired form of hopper or other receptacle may be used in practice. In the present instance the machine is shown provided with an ele vated shelf 2, Fi 's. 1 and 3, upon which the stacks or piles o signatures are placed, the said shelf having in connection therewith sets of uprights, as 3 3 and 4:, Figs. 1 and 2, to retain' in place the respective stacks or piles. Thus for each stack or pile there are provided two opposite uprights 3 3, forming side pieces, and one upright A, forming a front piece, thesethree uprights partially incl'osing the stack or pile. The side uprights 3 3 are suit- .ably attached to the shelf 2, as by bolts or screws 5 5, adjustment of one of the said side uprights toward and from the other to accommodate signatures of v arious widths being provided for by means of slots 6 6, Fig. 1 in the table 2, through which slots the stems of the said bolts or screws pass. The front upright A is supported by a right-angled bracket 7, Fig. 1, having one arm thereof attached to one of the side uprights 3 and having its other arm extended parallel with the front edge of the shelf 2, the said upright 4 at a short distance from the said front edge of the shelf. The said distance is such as ,to leave the front portion of. the stack or pile unsupported and to enable the head end of the bottom signature in the stack or pile to be depressed at the front of the shelf by means 'of the devices which hereinafter are described and to permit such signature to be withdrawn from beneath the stack or pile. By way of affording a clear preliminary understanding of the general character of the "essential working parts of my feeding mech- I first will refer briefly to such parts and their main functions. In connection with each stack or pile of signatures I provide a picker, by means of which to separate the forward portion of the leading element of the stack or pile from the'succeeding elements 3 thereof.

arm supporting the saidlimit myself in the case of the broader embodiments of the invention with respect to the particular kind or construction of picker which is used or to the precise mode of operation thereof. Preferably, however, I employ a suction or vacuum picker, and I have shown such a picker in the accompanying drawings at 8, Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The forward portion or head end of the leading signature of a stack orpile having been moved awayfrom the corresponding portion of the next succeeding signature by the action of the picker, a separator, as 9, then is caused to enter into the opening thereby produced in order to more completely effect the separation between such portions of the said signatures, and in addition the said separator is caused to act against the said succeeding signature, so as to move the remainder of the stack or pile away from the bottom or leading signature in a manner to relieve the last-mentioned elementfrom the weight or pressure of the remainder of the stack or pile at the time of the Withdrawal of the said bottom or leading element, so as thereby to facilitate the said withdrawal. The precise construction, &c., of the separator is not material to the invention. For withdrawing the leading signature from the stack or pile and delivering the same at the required point I employ devices which in some cases may be variously constituted'and constructed. Various devices and arrangements for the purpose have heretofore been proposed for use in similar connections, and I do not necessarily limit myself in the case of embodiments of the broader phase of the in-' vention with respect to the particular charactransferring devices.

ter or construction of the withdrawing and Preferably, however, I employ moving grippers, and preferably, also, I employ grippers moving in a circular path. In the more complete embodiment of the invention I employ gripper devices of peculiar character and mode of operation which I have shown in the accompanying drawings and presently will proceed to describe.

Having now indicated the general character and main features of the essential working parts of my feeding mechanism, I will proceed to describe the said mechanism more in detail.

by dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3, the working end of the said body portion or arm having a cup 10 of suitable flexible and elastic materialsuch, for instance, as rubber. The rear end of the body portion of the picker has connected therewith flexible tubing, as 11, Figs. 2 and 3, leading to suitable suction-produc ing apparatus, which maybe of any approved or usual character and is not necessary to be shown herein. The picker 8 is mounted upon a carrier-bar 12. The said carrier-bar extends transversely with reference to the stack or pile of signatures at the front of the holder or receptacle for the latter. In the case of the illustrated mechanism a plurality or series of holders or receptacles is provided upon the shelf 2, (see Fig. 1,) and the bar 12 extends lengthwise of the said shelf past the said series of holders or receptacles, it constituting a comir on carrier for the series of pickers which is employed in the said mechanism. To the bar 12 are communicated movements by which the required action of the pickers is secured. The instrumentalities for communicating the proper movements to the bar 12 will presently be described. The said movements comprise, in brief, endwise movements of the bar 12, whereby lateral ntovements of the respective pickers are occasioned from a position at one side of each of the respective stacks or piles to positions in line with the latter and back again and vertical movements whereby the pickers are lifted and depressed.

The separator 9 is essentially L shape in plan, as shown best in Fig. 6, and it comprises, essentially, the bent arm 13, Figs. 4, 5, and 6, by means of which it is attached to the separator-carrying bar, and an extension 14,. projecting from the said arm horizontally at right angles to the latter. One endnamely, 15of the working portion of the separator is wedge shape to facilitate the entrance of such end between the signature that has been engaged and partly drawn down by the picker and the next succeeding signature. A thin plate, as 16, is applied to the laterallyprojecting portion of the separator for the purpose of affording a broader support to the signature which is above the same.

The separator 9 is mounted upon a carrier bar 17, which latter, as shown by Figs. 1, 2, and 3, extends lengthwise of the supporting arrangements for the series of stacks or piles of si natures and constitutes a'common carrier for the series of separators. To the said carrier bar are communicated the movements by which the required action ofthe separators is secured. The instrumentalities for communicating such movements to the bar 17 will presently be described. The said movements comprise in brief endwise movements of the bar 17, whereby the lateral movements of the respective separators are occasioned and vertical movements" whereby are occasioned.

the lifting land depressing of the separators The picker-bar 12 and separator-bar 17 are applied to guides which are provided, as at 18,. Figs. 1, 2, and 3, in arms 19. A suitable number of the arms 19 is provided in thedirection of the length ofthemachine ;tosupport the picker-bar and separators-bar andpreventithe same from springing.

-, transferringehe ad, of which the grippers here- 3, to brackets 21, Fig. 3, upon the .shelf 2 the the armsbeing located atthe up-H;

' j mountednpon an arm or ,carrier madefastsupon theshaft .24. The said car-f The arms 19-are pivoted. at,2 O, Figs..1., 2 and pivots 2.0 of per .corner of ,theforward edge, 'ofthesaid shelf,-.-so; as, to eause the pickers and 'separators intheir vcrticaLswmging movements to l gripperej awsare, mark ."l, respectively, ,43 and.

move concentricallywith such edge Anti: friction rolls .22, nounted upon the said arms 19, rest, upon the pe'ripheriesgof cams 23 upon the rotating shaft 24,, By the action of the said. cams as the mainshaftisrotated the ar1ns19. are swung so as to communicatethe necessary verticalxmovements to the picker: bar andseparator-bar. ,Thepicker-ba'r and separator-bar are adapted-to move. endwise L centrically with relation to each other-that is .to say, atashort rection, in .which the transferningqhead ro,

within theguides 18 of the vertically-swing, ing. arms 19. For the purpose. of communi eating to the, pickersbar and separator-barthe necessary endwisemovementsl employ' the cam 25,\Fi g.. 1, whichfis mounte Lon the shaft 24. The said cam has cam-grooves 26 27,, receiving stud s or cam-rolls 28 29., which, respectively, are mounted upon studs pro; jecting fromthe collars 30,331., The collar. 30, is .fast upon a s1eeve32, which-latter is fitted; to a..:bearinglat,q33 that issuitably supported on the .machine-framing. At its inner enil tlielsaidtsleeve is. forme with collars 34 34,. receivingdnthe space betweenthem a lug 35, projecting. .fromthe PlCkQIEbfiJ 12. These collars 34 .34. cooperating I-with the lug 35 transmit to the picker-b arthe enr wis'e movementwhichiscommunicated to the sleeve 32- by the action ,ofthe cam-groove 26, although leaving thev picker-bar freeto be swung vertically in an- .arc co11centric,w ith..; the said sleeve. Within the sleeve 32 is fittedthe cylindrical.slide-bar; 36, it being supporte d. at,, its outerz end;.,in"ranother bearing 37 .The saidslide-banhas the collar 31 aforesaid attachel thereto. and a1so. is,pr.ovide" at its inner end; with, collars .38 38 receivingbetween. them the lug 39, which is attached. :to'theiseparatorbar 17,. These lugs transmit to the separae tor bar the endwise movementwhich is come municated tQqthBSlldG-bfil 36 by the actionof the cam-groove 27 upoii the'situd or. roll 29,

thatisicarried byMthe said slide-bar 36; al

thoughleaving the sairls'eparator-bar freev to swing in. aavertica 21%1011112111118011 with the picker-bar. To prevent rotation of fthe, sleeve 32 and sli-f :e-bar.361under.,theiaction of thejarespec'tive. cam-grooves, athe said collars 30. an i 31- are fu'rnishefizwith flat-projections 40 40, working between the: parallel guidesurfaces 41 41,.which'areconnected. with the bearings 33 37 The: axes, of, the sleeve 32 after asthe upper 44, respectively, are mounted. upon the-piv;

' and slide-bar 36, are in line with the axes of] the pivots-.20 of the arms 19 by which thepicker-harand separator-bar arecarried, and; consequently the swinging movements of, the

lsaid arms do not, affect the connection be,- 5 tween thesaid bars and thesleeve and. slidebar. 4 Upon the. shaft 24 a'jacent; each hop per or receptacle for signatures is mountetl a inbefore referred to constitute the chief-essem tialworking, .element. The. grippers, are 4 whi i rier is shown sep aratelydn Figs. 7 an lS, The} 44, Eigsr 2,,3, an l 9. to 12, the jaw 43 (shown. separately in .Figs. 9 and 10) beingwhat jawan E I the jaw.44, (show n separatelyin Figs. 1 1 and.

:12) being what, is .referre l .to herein-.1 jawi. The jaws 43, and

ots-45and 46,,these pivotslbeinglocated ecdistance apartin the di tates The pivots at 45.46 are constituted E by studs whichare connected with the r e,-

fitted to bearings at 47 48,

spective jaws and Figs. 2,3, 7, and 8-, respectively, in the carrier-. arm,42 the said $13,115 5 being free to turn in, the said"bearings. The stud 45 of the under. jaw 43 projects beyond its bearings, as, shown in Fig. .2, and has applied thereto a Spiral, spring 49, one end of-which is engaged with" a under.

fixed portion -of the carrier-arm 42, whilethd i other end thereof is engaged; with a .collar 50, which s ad as pon the. stud 45 by means f;-. 1a mpingscrew 51 By h tion Grasses spr ng 4.9,. e-u d j w 48 i held pressed forwardlin its normal position,; the: saidposition being eterminel by the en-,; gagement of aproj'ectionorlug 52, Figs. 9. andlO, ,upo-n the said jaw with the rejection or lug' 53, Figs. 7 and 8,.which is ormed or provided upon the carrier-arm 42. The up; per jaw 44 isfurnislted a pin or roll,.as at 5,4, working in he groove of a cam 55 (shown separately on -a reduced scale),.in.Fig-. 13; termed by me .the grip'p ereoperating 1 cam and mounted in a fixed position surroun ing the shaft. 24, the said cam being 'furnished with asuitableprojection 56 for attachment to afiXed portion of the machine-framing. The surface 57 at the outer end ofthe unde'r jaw 43 is the portion of the sail jawjwhich cooperates with the upper. jaw 44 in clamp: inga signature. To the enter end of the upper jaw44 is attached a plate 58, itprojecte ing at the rear of the said upper jaw toward the under jawand being adapted to pass over thezend of the sai'd under jaw as the upper jaw is moved backward and forward, the un. der surface of the said plate 58 coacting with the end surface 57 of the under jaw in clamp ing the signature. Adjacent the pivotal mountin for the j aws the carrier 42 is furnished with a segmental support 59 concentric with shaft24 for the signature which has been drawn out from the adjacent stack or pile by the action of the grippers and curing the transfer of the said signature in being (lelivered.

The operation in general will be clearly understood from the foregoing description. I may add that the signatures in each stack or pile lie with one end of each thereof toward the frontiof the machine and with the folded back of each at one side of the hopper or receptacle that isto say, each signature lies with its head end to the front and is folded back to one side. The picker 8 normally oc cupies a position atone side of the stack or pile with which it cooperates. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) In the present drawings this posi tion is at the right-hand side of the stack. In this position the picker stands normally below the level of the up er surface of'the table 2 upon which the signatures rest. (See Fig. 3.) In its action it first is shifted laterally (toward the left in the drawings) from the position of Figs. 1 and 2 into a position be neath the adj acent forward corner of the sig= nature with which it is to engage. It then is raised into engagement with the said corner. Then the air is exhausted from the same to cause the signature to adhere thereto, and then the cup is depressed. At this stage the separator, which previously has occupied a position at the right of the stack or pile with which it cobperates, is moved laterally (toward the left in the drawings) to the position shown inFigs. 1 and 2, and thereby caused to enter between the depressed corner of the bottom signature and the signature which is next above in the stack or pile. Then the vacuum is relieved, and the picker having become disengaged from the signature is returned laterally toward the right in the drawings to its original position (shown in Figs. 1 and 2) out of the path of rotation of the transferring grippers'. The separator now is caused to rise under the action of the grade 231 of the cam 23,- thereby lifting the stack or pile which is above the same, so as to take the weight or pressure of the stack or pile off the bottom signature. The separator remains in its lifted position while the gripper-jaws engage withthe bottom signature and pull it out from beneath the stack or pile and also while the picker returns into position beneath the stack or pile again. The separator then is withdrawn edgewise laterally from under the stack or pile by movement toward the right. In being depressed by the picker the headend of the bottom signature is bent downward over the free edge of the shelf 2, upon which it rests. The carrying-arms 1-9 are pivoted at the said front edge of the shelf 2 in order that the pickers and separators may swing in arcs concentric with that in which the portion of-the signature withwhich they engage is bent. The maximum of clear ance thereby is secured in consequence of keepingthe surface of the separator approxi matelyparallel with the surface of the signa= ture againstwhich it'acts. As the transfer= ring=head rotates and as the grippers'thereon come around beneath the stack of signatures and approach the head end of the bottom or leading signature the up er jaw is moved for wardly by the action 0 its cam 55, thereby separating it from the under jaw and swing ing it inwardly toward the shaft 24, so that in its advance with the transferring head the said jaw shall not strike against the depressed portion of the said bottom or leading signa= ture. The lower 'aw accompanies the upper jaw forward until the lower jaw reaches its normal position on the transferrer-head, such position being determined by the en= gagement of the stop-lugs or projections 52 53 with each other. As soon as the upper jaw passes the head end of the bottom signature it is caused by its cam 55 to move rear= wardly, its rearward movement being caused to proceed at such relative speed as to cause its plate 58 to overlap the said head end. In its rearward movement the upper jaw by contact with the under jaw transmits corre sponding movement to the latter, both con= tinuing to move rearwardly in unison at a proximately the same rate of speed as tl ie transferring-head is moving forward. This retains the jaws in a relatively stationary po= sition with respect to the edge of the signa= ture. Meanwhile, in consequence'of the fact that the jaws are pivoted upon different cen= ters they close upon each other so as to grip the head ends of the bottom or leading signa ture between them. Upon the termination of the rearward movement of the upper jaw that is occasioned by the action of the cam 55 the closed jaws move onward with the transferring-head, Withdrawing the bottom signature from the stack or pile, the rear POI; tion of the said signature then finding a su port on the segment 59 at the rear of t e jaws. The signature is .then delivered from the transferring-head by the opening of the jaws, which permits the said signature to fall from the latter upon the su port 60 in front of the transferring-head. he recess below the plate 16 of the separator 9 alongside the portion 14 of the separator affords clearance to the upper jaw of the 'tran'sferring grippers as such jaw is moved into position for engagement with the head portion of the bottomor leading signature.

I claim as my inv'ention- I j 1 The combination with means for holding a stack-of signatures or the like to be fed, and transferring devices to engage with the elements of thesaid stacksuccessivelyand with draw such elements from the stack,- of a picker, a separator, and actuating connections for said picker and separator where by the picker is caused to engage the leading element of the stack and whereby the separator is caused to enter between said element and the remainder of the stack and then is moved to relieve the pressure of the said remainder from the said leading element to facilitate the withdrawal of the latter.

2. The combination with means for holding a stack of signatures or the like to be fed, and transferring devices to engage with the elements of the said stack successively and withdraw such elements from the stack, of a suction-picker, a separator, and actuating connections for said picker and separator whereby the picker is caused to engage the leading element of the stack and whereby the separator is caused to enter between said element and the remainder of the stack and then is moved to relieve the pressure of the said remainder from the said leading element to facilitate the withdrawal of the latter.

3. The combination with means for holding a stack of signatures or the like to be fed, and transferring-grippers to engage with the elements of the said stack successively and withdraw such elements from the stack, of a picker, a separator, and actuating connections for said picker and separator whereby the picker is caused to engage the leading element of the stack and whereby the separator is caused to enter between said element and the remainder of the stack and then is moved to relieve the pressure of the said remainder from the said leading element to facilitate the withdrawal of the latter.

4. The combination with a support for a stack of signatures or the like to be fed, a picker, a separator, and actuating connections for said picker and separator whereby the picker is caused to engage the leading element of the stack and whereby the separator is caused to enter between said element and the remainder of the stack, and then is moved to relieve the pressure of the said remainder from the said leading element to facilitate the withdrawal of the latter, of a rotating carrier, two jaws upon said carrier, and means whereby in the forward rotation of the carrier both jaws are moved rearwardly to inclose theforward edge of said element and also moved relatively to each other to close upon said edge, the continued movement of the carrier eifecting the withdrawal of the element from the stack.

5. The combination with a support for a stack of signatures or the like to be fed, a picker, a separator, and actuating connections for said picker and separator whereby the picker is caused to engage the leading element of the stack and whereby the separator is caused to enter between said element and the remainder of the stack and then is moved to relieve the pressure of the said remainder from the said leading element to facilitate the withdrawal of the latter, of a rotating car rier, a movable spring-actuated gripper-jaw mounted on said carrier, an opposing jaw also mounted on said carrier, and a cam whereby in the continued forward rotation of the carrier the latter jaw is actuated to communicate a rearward movement to both jaws, close them upon an edge of the said element, and withdraw the latter from the stack.

6. The combination with a support for a stack of signatures or the like to be fed, a picker, a separator, and actuating connections for said picker and separator whereby the picker is caused to engage the leading element of the stack and whereby the separator is caused to enter between said element and the remainder'of the stack, and then is moved to relieve the pressure of the said remainder from the said leading element to facilitate the withdrawal of the latter, of a rotating carrier, two jaws upon said carrier mounted upon pivots which are eccentric with relation to each other, and means whereby in the rotation of the carrier the jaws are moved rearwardly to pass over the forward edge of the said element, and also moved relative to each other to close upon said edge, the continued forward movement of the carrier effecting the withdrawal of the element from the stack.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. STUART H. PRAY.

Witnesses CHAS. F. RANDALL, EDITH J. ANDERSON. 

